Although not limited thereto, the invention is particularly applicable to the assembling of large crates of the type used as shipping containers for shipping furniture, household effects and the like. Various fastening means have been employed in the past in order to improve upon and facilitate the reuse of shipping containers and other knock-down structures. One fastening system which lends itself to use on knock-down containers is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,808, with a modification of that arrangement being shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,154. The fastening systems disclosed in these patents use band strap fasteners, formed of flexible metal for securing panels together and have means for securing the straps including permanently deformable metal clips for sealing the band straps to metal brackets provided at the corners of the containers. When it is desired to open a container or to disassemble it, the straps are simply cut, removed and discarded. When the container is reassembled, new straps are provided and clipped in place.
In accordance with another system more recently employed, prebent spring clips are used in place of the flexible metal strips. Each clip has a detent portion preformed on each end. The detent portions interengage with detent retaining edges of openings in brackets on the corners of the container panels and resiliently lock the container panels in assembled relationship. Each spring detent end fits within a predrilled recess in the panel underlying the retaining edge formed by the hole in each bracket.
One drawback of the arrangement just described is that it requires that clearance holes be drilled in all panels of the container underneath the detent portions of each spring clip. Another drawback with the use of these spring clips is that there is no easy way of retaining the clips within one of the recesses during assembly prior to locking the panels together. This presents an awkward and time consuming assembly problem in the case of large sized knock-down crates which are typically 6" .times. 8" .times. 8" since one man cannot jockey the heavy panels into position and then simultaneously hold them in position, position the clips and lock them in place. A still further problem often arises when the containers are stored or used outside in wet or cold weather since water accumulates in the drilled recesses in the tops of the containers and will cause corrosion of the spring clips and swelling of the wood. If the weather is cold, the water will freeze in the recesses and make assembly or disassembly difficult if not impossible.